The Shack NoveL

The Shack is NOT a Christian Novel, but Simply More New Age Heresy
(1 Timothy 4:4, Galatians 5:9, Colossians 2:8-9 )

“And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” (1 Timothy 4:4)

“The Shack” is NOT a Christian novel, but simply more New Age heresy. Things have not really changed since the first days of the church over 2,000 years ago. One of the problems Paul dealt with often were those who perverted the Absolute Truth of the Bible with writings that purported to be Christian. All throughout these past 2,000 years men have written books about the Christian faith that compromised the Truth of the Bible. We have never been so ripe for these types of heretical books as in the year 2008, with the better part of 2 generations having never even gone to church and the large percentage of those who do, being Biblically illiterate. So it is no wonder that a huge best selling “Christian novel,” “The Shack,” is the latest in a long line of heretical books promoting anti-Biblical ideas.
William P. Young, the author of “The Shack,” is the son of missionaries whose dad also pastored churches in Canada. He went to Bible College and later graduated with an undergraduate degree in Religion from Warner Pacific College in Portland, Oregon. However, there is absolutely no information available on his theology. “The Shack” is an allegorical fictional novel. It conveys postmodern spiritual ideas and teachings that challenge Biblical Christianity, all in the name of God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

Much like New Age author James Redfield’s book “The Celestine Prophecy,” “The Shack” is a fictional vehicle for upending certain Biblical concepts and presenting contrary spiritual scenarios. Young’s book moves through a very engaging and emotional story to eventually present the New Age teaching that God is “in” everything. God is not “in” everyone and everything. The Bible makes it clear that man is not divine and that man is not God!

“The Shack” presents many of the same New Age concepts and ideas that plague the controversial Bible paraphrase The Message, written by Eugene Peterson who enthusiastically endorsed “The Shack,” as well as Rhonda Byrne’s “The Secret” that I warned you about years ago and was heavily promoted by the queen of the New Age gurus Oprah, New Age leader Benjamin Crème’s, “The Reappearance of the Christ and the Masters of Wisdom,” and New Age matriarch Alice Bailey, in her book “The Reappearance of the Christ.”

This “God in everything” immanence is why The Shack is such a deceptive book. It teaches this same heresy. This is most apparent when he uses the person of “Jesus” to suddenly introduce the foundational teaching of the New Spirituality, God is “in” everything. Using the New Age term “ground of being” to describe “God,” the “Jesus” of The Shack states: “God, who is the ground of all being, dwells in, around, and through all things..” (p. 112)

This false teaching about a “God” who “dwells in, around, and through all things” is the kind of New Age leaven that Paul warned about. Clearly, the “Jesus” of The Shack is not Jesus Christ of the Bible. The apostle Paul warned the Corinthians that they were vulnerable and extremely susceptible to “another Jesus” and “another gospel” and “another spirit” that were not from God (2 Corinthians 2:11).

In the Bible, Jesus warned that spiritual deception would be a sign before His return. He further warned that there would be those who would even come in His name, pretending to be Him (Matthew 24:3-5;24). William Young’s mixing of truth and error can become very confusing to readers, and God is not the author of confusion (I Corinthians 14:33).

We are living in such perilous times and satan is busy using tools like “The Shack” to lead people astray, many searching for real truth in their lives. This is why I am like a broken record every day to challenge people to get out into the world and take the REAL TRUTH of the Bible to people. They are hurting, looking for answers. Why do you think books like this are so popular? It doesn’t help when you have people like Pat Robertson featuring Young on The 700 Club, not to rebuke or chastise his New Age concepts, but to promote his book.

This is why I come down so hard on cotton candy preachers like Osteen, expose Masonic cult member Robert Schuller who promotes many of these same New Age concepts and even sells New Age garbage in his crystal church’s bookstore, warn you about these watered down, compromised seeker/purpose driven/emergent church movements geared to attract bodies and not souls. People are looking for life changing answers, and the ONLY place they will find those answers are in the Bible!!!

Listen, there is SO much material out there. My word of wisdom for you today is this. First, know who the author is. Research them and find out what their theology is. If you can’t find it, STAY AWAY! You wouldn’t go to a stranger for open heart surgery, why look for Biblical Truth from someone you don’t even know. If the book isn’t tied to Scripture, have any sort of Scriptural references (from credible translations and not these perverted paraphrase Bibles), STAY AWAY! I don’t care how clever man thinks he is, there is no substitution for the Word of God!!! It is the ONLY Truth there is that can truly change hearts and lives.

I love you and care about you so much. “The Shack” has touched the hearts and emotions of many people. While there are many other examples of the author’s unbiblical teachings, the heretical New Age concept that “God dwells in, and around, and through all things” is in and by itself enough to make this book dangerous. To allow yourself to get carried away by this story, while disregarding the book’s New Age concepts, is the kind of compromise that has invaded the church today.

I have learned over these many years of ministry to be very leery of anything that is embraced by the world and becomes wildly popular by the masses. The fact is, the pure Truth of the Bible is NOT something this lost world gravitates to. They want something that feels good, makes them happy for a moment, helps them through a difficult time, without making any real commitment or sacrifice in return. That is why the spiritual crack of our day, these New Age teachings are so popular. Sacrifice and service don’t sell, success and satisfaction does!!!

I will be praying for those who are caught up in “The Shack,” that the Lord will put the right people in their lives to help guide them to the real Truth of His Word. That they will come to know the God of the Bible, the Jesus of the Bible, the Holy Spirit of the Bible, and not the perverted creations from men’s minds. Young’s created trinity is no different than Joseph Smith’s or those of any other false prophet. Now more than ever, men need to be led to faith in Jesus Christ and to the Truth of His Word alone!!!

In His love and service, Your friend and brother in Christ, Bill Keller